Do dogs provide health
benefits? Believe it or not they do! Did
you
know that owning a dog and pet ownership in general, can
help a
person in many ways? Owning a pet can improve your
mental
wellness, reduce your visits to the doctor, improve your
cardiovascular
health and allow for faster recovery time from
surgery
as well as higher survival rates. Recent research
suggests
that dogs may be able to detect cancer on a person's
breath!
Lets' explore these amazing health benefits of pet
ownership:
It has
been proven that dog owners have lower blood pressure
and
cholesterol levels than non-dog owners. These factors, in
turn,
reduce the chance of cardiovascular diseases. In fact,
just
stroking a pet has long been known to reduce blood
pressure.
Furthermore, a study from the New York State
University
concluded that these benefits continue even without
the pet
being present!
Hospital
studies have shown that senior citizens and recent
post-op
patients respond better to treatment and recover faster
while
in contact with dogs and other therapy animals. Did you
know
that dog owners have a greater chance to survive a serious
illness
than non-dog owners? In fact, a study revealed that a
pet
affected a person's survival rate even more than the
presence
or company of family members or friends!
Studies
conducted at Cambridge and UCLA concluded that there is
a
direct correlation between pet ownership and improved overall
health,
which leads to fewer visits to the doctor. The Journal
of
American Geriatrics Society notes that pet ownership has a
positive
effect on a senior's physical and emotional well
being.
Additionally, a Medicare study of elderly patients also
shows
that people who own a dog have fewer doctor visits than
patients
who do not.
Pet
owners have better emotional health and mental wellness
than
people who do not own a pet. Pets offer unconditional love
and
affection and their presence alone helps reduce loneliness.
For
people who are isolated, disabled or handicapped, a pet
offers
friendship and can even add a element of safety to their
lives.
Dogs are used as a form of therapy in hospices, nursing
homes
and as companions for the disabled and blind. In fact,
there
are studies that prove that people with a major illness
fight
the stress of having the illness better by having a dog
as a
pet.
There
is new research that suggests that dogs may be able to
detect
certain types of cancer. Researchers at the Pine Street
Foundation
in San Anselmo, California and the Polish Academy of
Sciences
exposed dogs to breath samples from breast and lung
cancer
patients and samples from healthy people. They claim
that
the dogs were able to detect cancer with astonishing
results
and accuracy. The dogs were able to identify 99% of
lung
cancer breath samples (which included early stage cancer
patients)
as well as 88% of breast cancer samples. The study,
which
has been met with skepticism, will be released early in
2006
and published in the March edition of the Journal for
Integrative
Cancer Therapies. Experts agree that this holds
promise,
but must be evaluated and researched further.
As you
can see pet ownership or having a dog comes with many
benefits
for an individual. Owning a pet encourages social
interaction,
reduces stress levels, boosts self-confidence and
self-esteem
and encourages exercise. Having a pet is a great
investment,
not only in the joy and pleasure that the animal
brings
into your life, but the many health benefits that come
with
the territory!
About
The Author: Robert Benson operates
http://www.ezshoppinghere.com
a website devoted to helping
shoppers
find unique gift ideas in unique places. We carry Pet
Supplies,
Home Decor, Digital Cameras, Three Stooges
Collectibles
& other fine merchandise.
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